Arsenal and Tottenham Set to Battle for Dutch Defender Joel Veltman

Arsenal and Tottenham are set to go head-to-head for Netherlands centre-back Joel Veltman, according to the Mirror.

The Gunners are in the market looking for a quality young centre-back, as club captain Thomas Vermaelen is likely to leave them over the summer transfer window.

With Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker making their place in the first XI permanent, the Belgian defender had fallen down the pecking order and had to make do with a place on the bench for most of the season.

Arsene Wenger will want to bring in a backup as there are no other options within the squad if one of the first-choice pairing gets injured.

Spurs are also linked with Veltman as the futures of current defenders Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul remain uncertain. Mauricio Pochettino will want to bring in some top quality defensive reinforcements that will allow them to challenge for a Champions League spot in the upcoming Premier League season.

The 22-year-old defender plays for Ajax in the Eredivisie and is currently in Brazil, with Louis van Gaal's Dutch squad, preparing for the quarter-final clash against Costa Rica.

The current FA cup holders will battle their north London rivals for the defender's signature, but the White Hart Lane club could have an advantage as they can offer the Ajax defender first-team football unlike the Gunners.

Meanwhile, Tottenham, who are planning a new stadium at White Hart Lane, are thinking of moving out of the current stadium a year early and share a ground with another club.

Spurs are hopeful of moving into their new 54,000-seat £400m stadium by the 2017-18 season. However, they will have to move out of the current stadium much earlier as there will be planned building works taking place around the stadium.

They are now looking at alternate venues to stage the home games in the 2016-17 season. The Olympic stadium, stadiummk, the home of MK Dons or the Amex Stadium, the home of Brighton football club are said to be the venues in consideration.